Alignments—Part 2

By Paul Cavel, Posted August 2009

The alignments discussed this month build on the previous set that I sent out in February. If you didn’t practise them, I suggest that you do for at least a week or two before moving on to this deeper work to get the maximum benefits. You need to have relaxed and released a certain amount of tension and become familiar with adjusting the body in this specific manner before proceeding with this set.

Releasing Physical Tension

First, position your body using February’s instructions, and relax your body as much as possible. Obtain a sense of energy dropping down through your body into the ground. This always helps to release excess physical tension and to ground you, bringing your mind to the matter at hand—in this case working on your body and its energy. Of course, it’d be great if you could maintain these alignments at all times.

Open the Back of Your Knees

Next, put your mind in the back of your knees and, without changing the angle of the shin and thigh, open up the back of your knees and take the body’s weight up slightly. Leave your feet flat and solid on the floor. You can do this by either directly opening the back of the knees or by raising the whole spine up without flexing the knee joint. Whichever method you use, relax the front of the knees and allow the knee caps to drop down slightly.

Your Sacrum and Pelvis Create a Wheel—Rotate It

Now put your attention on your kwa (the leg connection through the pelvis to the spine). What you are trying to achieve is dropping and tucking the tailbone and sacrum while simultaneously lifting and raising the front of the pelvis. This raising is done from the psoas muscles—if you are able to feel and move them.

Imagine your pelvis as a wheel. Focus on the hub (centre of the pelvis or lower tantien) and rotate the wheel slightly. So the back of the wheel (sacrum) descends and the front (of the pelvis) rises.

If you rotate this wheel correctly your torso will remain at the same height and it will be possible to feel a stretch in the back of the knees. Also, you will be able to stand longer without pressure in the knees.

Only rotate the pelvis to whatever degree is well within your comfort zone. Do not force this action. As a Water method practice, you’re looking to encourage your body into a posture—not make it happen.

Relax and let go.

Positively Affect Your Kidneys and Bowels

Put your mind into your midriff (the area between the top of your hips and your floating ribs). From deep in the midriff area, raise the upper body leaving the pelvis where it is. This action is done from either the left and right channels or from your quadratas lumborum muscles. (These muscles connect the top of the pelvis and the bottom rib at the back of the pelvis.) If you are successful with this action, the lumbar vertebrae (base of the spine) will open up fully, positively affecting your kidneys and bowels.

However you do it, keep the midriff open and release your shoulders, arms, chest, sacrum, tailbone and internal organs down to gravity.

Take your time.

Smoothly Transitioning Into Your Practice

Finish by lengthening up the spine gently to the occiput to take out any slack in the system and releasing and dropping the energy in the face and brain down through the body to the ground.

Now you are ready to do any qigong or other internal arts practice.

Happy practising,
Paul

Any physical and/or energetic exercise can carry risks. Do not attempt these exercises if you have any physical, emotional or mental conditions that may make you susceptible to injury.

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